The Melbourne Tigers have suffered two crippling injuries just days out from their 2013-14 NBL season opener.
Captain Tommy Greer is set to miss three months of action courtesy of a pectoral tear while import Stephen Dennis will not participate this season after snapping his Achilles tendon. The 25-year-old NBA hopeful is returning to US.
Coach Chris Anstey is left to pick up the pieces.
“It’s extremely disappointing for both players. The guys love both Steve and Tommy on and off the court and are shattered for them,” Anstey said.
“It’s a tough week however there is strength in this group. We will bounce back.”
Still inactive ahead of the Tigers’ season opener against Sydney next Sunday are Lucas Walker and Chris Goulding.
Star recruit Mark Worthington is also dealing with a shoulder issue, but has declared himself “close to 100 percent” fit after having had a shoulder reconstruction.
“It’s a confidence thing now in terms of just getting used to extending my arm again and things like that,” Worthington said, returning to Australia after playing last season for Serbian club Radnicki Kragujevac.
“I did come back (from the reconstruction) fairly quickly, which is a good thing and that speaks volumes about our medical staff.
“It’s getting better every week and the more I train and play, the more confident I’m going to be.”
Across in Perth, the Wildcats have signed West Australian SBL All-Star Jarrad Prue to fill in for the injured Matt Knight.
Knight, the club’s star center, is expected to miss at least six games while recovering from ankle surgery.
Prue is making a run at the NBL at the ripe old age of 31.
“As a kid you always dream to play in the NBL, for this team, but after all these years I never expected it to be something that would eventuate and due to circumstances it’s come off, and I’m really excited about the opportunity,” he said.
“My role is really just to run hard, hustle hard, play hard defence, crash the boards, I guess do all the hustle type of plays and give the starters a few minutes of relief and not let anything slip while they sit on the bench.”
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